Chapter 158
As Carolina prepared her next move, Alexander and Lily made their way toward the estate where Maxwell was meeting the government official. They had little time and had to intercept the deal before it could go through. The stakes were higher than ever, and the pressure was mounting.
Maxwell’s arrogance, however, had made him careless. Despite Carolina’s manipulation, he believed he was still in control. He thought the news leak was nothing more than a minor hiccup. But as the government official arrived, Maxwell's unease grew.
"Do you have any idea what kind of heat we're under right now?" the official snapped, barely keeping his composure.
"I have it handled," Maxwell said coolly, even though he wasn’t so sure anymore. "This deal will go through as planned."
The official shook his head. "There are too many eyes on us now. If we’re exposed, the entire syndicate will go down. You’d better fix this."
Just as the meeting began, Alexander and Caleb infiltrated the estate. Using Lily’s intel, they moved swiftly, positioning themselves just outside the conference room where Maxwell was negotiating.
"Once we have confirmation, we take them down," Alexander whispered, his eyes locked on the door. They had surveillance equipment ready to capture everything.
But before they could make their move, chaos erupted.
---
Back at Carolina's mansion, Valeria had initiated her secret plan. It wasn’t just about Maxwell anymore. She was launching a full-scale attack on Alexander’s team. Unbeknownst to Alexander, his location had been compromised. Valeria had tracked him and Caleb to the estate and sent a team of mercenaries to eliminate them.
"They think they can stop Maxwell and disrupt my plans?" Carolina sneered. "Let’s show them how wrong they are."
Her mercenaries arrived at the estate silently, moving in like shadows. It wasn’t long before Caleb sensed something was wrong.
"Alexander, we’ve got company," Caleb muttered, his hand hovering over his weapon.
Alexander’s heart raced. They had walked into a trap, one orchestrated not just by Maxwell, but by Carolina herself.
"We need to move, now!" Alexander whispered sharply. "Abort the mission."
They tried to retreat, but the mercenaries were already closing in.
---
Meanwhile, back at Carolina’s mansion, a new problem arose. Carolina’s daughter, Ariana, had somehow escaped from the safehouse she had been locked in after her defeat. Furious and feeling betrayed, Ariana was determined to confront her mother.
Ariana barged into the mansion, her eyes filled with rage. "You think you can just leave me out of this, Mother?" she shouted, storming into the grand hall where Carolina was calmly sipping wine.
"You’re too emotional," Carolina said without looking at her. "I’m doing what’s necessary for our future."
"Our future? Or just yours?" Ariana fired back. "You used me as a pawn against Lily and Alexander. And now you think you can just move on without me?"
Carolina finally met her daughter’s gaze. "You failed, Ariana. You let your personal vendetta cloud your judgment. Now, I’m cleaning up your mess."
Ariana’s fists clenched. "You don’t get to decide everything. This is my fight too. I’m not some pawn you can sacrifice."
Carolina’s expression hardened. "If you can’t handle the battlefield, then you are a pawn. Learn to play the game, or stay out of it."
Ariana stood silent for a moment, trembling with fury. Then, without another word, she turned and left. But instead of retreating, she had her own plans.
---
At the estate, Alexander and Caleb managed to evade the initial wave of mercenaries. But things were spiraling out of control. They needed an exit, and fast.
Lily, watching from her vantage point, quickly sent a message. "There’s an underground tunnel in the west wing," she said through their earpieces. "It’ll lead you out to the forest. You don’t have much time."
Alexander and Caleb sprinted toward the west wing, dodging gunfire and narrowly avoiding the mercenaries. As they reached the tunnel entrance, Caleb stopped abruptly.
"Go ahead," Caleb said, his voice low. "I’ll cover you."
"What? No. We’re in this together," Alexander protested.
"You’re more valuable out there than I am. We need to make sure Maxwell doesn’t succeed. I’ll buy you time."
Reluctantly, Alexander nodded and dashed into the tunnel. Caleb turned and readied his weapon, determined to hold off the attackers for as long as he could.
---
At that same moment, Maxwell’s paranoia had reached its peak. He sensed that his empire was crumbling around him, but before he could react, the government official suddenly pulled a gun on him.
"You’ve outlived your usefulness, Maxwell," the official sneered. "Your fall will cover up all our tracks."
Maxwell’s eyes widened in shock. "You’re making a mistake," he hissed, slowly raising his hands.
The official was about to pull the trigger when suddenly the door was kicked open. Ariana stormed into the room, disarming the official in a split second and holding her gun to Maxwell’s head.
"Surprised to see me?" Ariana said coldly.
Maxwell was frozen, unsure of what was happening. "Ariana… what are you doing?"
"I’m not done with this game," Ariana whispered. "You and my mother thought you could toss me aside. But I’m taking control now. And Maxwell, you’re going to help me."
With a wicked smile, she lowered her gun but kept her finger on the trigger.
Maxwell, realizing that Ariana was his only way out of this mess, nodded slowly. "Fine," he said, swallowing his pride. "What’s the plan?"
---
Back in the tunnel, Alexander emerged into the dense forest, breathless but determined. He had escaped the trap, but there was no time to rest. As he glanced back, the estate in the distance, smoke rising from the battle inside, he knew the fight was far from over.
The war had only just begun.
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